The Wales Weekend

2 days · 5 driving roads · 70 miles of them · best April–October

The classic South Wales two-dayer. Saturday takes in the Top Gear road over the Black Mountain and the long empty sweeps of the Beacons; Sunday climbs Gospel Pass — the highest road in Wales, single-track and shared with ponies — before the reservoir run through the Elan Valley and the Devil's Staircase hairpins. Book somewhere around Brecon or Llandovery for the night.

Worth knowing: Fuel is the thing to watch: fill up in Llandovery or Rhayader, because the mountain sections have nothing for twenty-odd miles. Gospel Pass and the Devil's Staircase are both single-track with passing places — not the place for a tight convoy.

The roads, in order

1. Black Mountain Pass A4069 · Llangadog → Brynamman · 10 mi · 20–30 min 📷 Herbert's Quarry viewpoint · 🍽️ The Red Lion, Llangadog · ☕ The Old Post Office, Llandovery · ⛽ Co-op petrol, Llandovery
2. Llangynidr Mountain Road B4560 · Llangynidr → Beaufort · 8 mi · 15–20 min 🍽️ Coach & Horses · 📷 Llangynidr Moors viewpoint
3. Gospel Pass Single-track lane · Hay-on-Wye → Llanvihangel Crucorney · 18 mi · 45–60 min ⚠ ⚠ Single-track with passing places; wild ponies and sheep on the road; busy summer weekends ☕ Hay-on-Wye · 📷 Hay Bluff car park · 🍽️ Llanthony Priory (Abbey Hotel)
4. Elan Valley & Mountain Road B4518 + mountain road · Rhayader → Cwmystwyth · 20 mi · 45–60 min 📷 Craig Goch dam viewpoint · ☕ Elan Valley Visitor Centre Café · 🚻 Caban Coch public toilets · ⛽ Station Garage, Rhayader
5. Abergwesyn Pass (Devil's Staircase) Mountain road · Tregaron → Abergwesyn · 14 mi · 45 min ⚠ ⚠ Single-track with passing places and gates — not a fast road, and unsuitable in ice 📷 Devil's Staircase overlook · ⛽ Neuadd Fawr Garage, Llanwrtyd Wells · 🍽️ The Talbot, Tregaron · ☕ Y Gelli Aur, Tregaron

Drive it

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